Speculum, particularly for stomatological purposes



J. GNEHM March 26, 1963 SPECULUM, PARTICULARLY FOR STOMATOLOGICAL PURPOSES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 26, 1961 l////////// V VI war.

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March 26, 1963 J. GNEHM 3,

SPECULUM, PARTICULARLY FOR STOMATOLOGICAL PURPOSES Filed April 26, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,082,762 SPECULUM, PARTICULARLY FOR STOMATQ- LOGTQAL PURPGSES Johann Gnehni, Via Anfossi 20, Milan, Italy Filed Apr. 26, 1961, Ser. No. 105,744 Claims priority, application Italy May 9, 1960 2 Claims. (Cl. 128-16) My invention relates to a speculum, particularly an oral mirror for stomatological purposes, and has for its object, aside from reflecting the area under observation, to also perform the functions of:

(a) Maintaining constant reflectivity by simultaneous and continuous cleaning and drying of the mirror surface;

(b) Cleaning and drying the area under observation;

(0) Facilitating the use of the device by being easily gripped and manipulated;

(d) Acting as a brace for maintaining or widening the mouth-opening angle;

(e) Permitting sterilization by any sterilizing method;

(f) Minimizing the tendency to cause vomiting;

(g) Preventing injury during use of the device.

The known speculurns for stomatological purposes consist essentially of an elongated thin rod having a mirror attached at one end for reflecting the interior of cavities and cavity areas to be treated. As a rule, the device is introduced into the body cavity for short intervals of time and must repeatedly be removed for cleaning or exchange to take care of fogging and dust collection at the mirror surface, also for the purpose of wetting the speculum by coolants, as well as for cleaning and drying of the cavities and treating areas. The thin holder rod of the conventional speculums is difficult to grip so that the hand of the physician is continuously strained. This affects the ease of manipulation and may impair the steady visibility of the area under observation. The rod, serving only as a carrier for the mirror, does not function as a support for maintaining or widening the mouth-opening angle so that the presence of an assistant may be required.

According to my invention, relating generally to medical speculums, particularly to those for stomatological purposes, the above-mentioned objectives are achieved by providing the speculum near its mirror with a nozzle body with an elongated, narrow orifice slot through which a gaseous jet, particularly compressed air, issues onto the mirror surface at a slight inclination relative to the mirror surface. The jet forms a protective gaseous cover for maintaining good visibility of the reflected area and also functions as a cleaning and drying agent for the mirror surface. The jet also forms a cleaning and drying agent for the area under observation and its vicinit particularly in the mouth.

The speculum according to the invention is preferably given tubular shape and has its rear end, remote from the mirror, connected through a coupling piece and a flexible hose with a source of compressed air.

The invention will be further described with reference to the embodiments illustrated by way of example on the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 show, respectively, a bottom view, a longitudinal section and a top view of the speculum and FIGS. 1a and 3a are respective end views thereof.

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 show, respectively, a bottom view, a lateral view and a top view of an air nozzle body applicable in a speculum according to the invention and FIG. 4a shows the nozzle opening.

FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 illustrate a bottom view, a partly sectional lateral view and a top view, respectively, of a mirror assembly for a speculum according to the invention, and FIG. 7a is a section along the line '7a-7a in FIG. 7.

3,082,762 Patented Mar. 25, 1963 "ice FIGS. 10 to 13 illustrate details of another embodiment of the mirror assembly by a bottom view (FIGS. 10 and 11) in a partly sectional lateral view (FIG. 12) and a top view (FIG. 13) and FIGS. 10a, 11a are respective sections along lines Ida-10a in FIG. 10 and Ila-11a in FIG. 11.

According to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the speculum comprises a tubular handle 3 which has a nipple piece 1 stuck into one of its ends for attachment to an air-supply hose. The coupling nipple 1 is rotatably mounted and is sealed by means of gaskets 2 of elastic material. The other end of the tubular handle 3 merges with a compressed-air nozzle body 4 which is attached to the handle by soldering or in any other suitable manner. The nozzle body 4 contains a sleeve 7 which forms a guide for the holder pin 8 of a mirror assembly separable from the handle. A set screw 6 inserted into the other end of the sleeve 7 and engaging the end of pin 8 permits fastening the mirror assembly in proper position. The set screw 6 can be turned by means of a screwdriver guided in a tubular piece 5 attached to the handle 3 in coaxial relation to the sleeve 7. The mirror 10 is partly covered by an intermediate piece h which completely covers the threaded pin 8 of the mirror assembly and which serves as an abutment or brace relative to the nozzle body 4.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 to 9 the threaded pin 8, the intermediate piece 9 and the mirror 10 are combined to form a single independent structural unit.

In the embodiment according to FIGS. 10 to 13, the screw pin 11 is directly connected with the mirror 15. In this case, the mirror assembly is assembled with the nozzle body 4 according to FIGS. 4 to 6, with the aid of an intermediate piece 12 and together with an insert .14. The intermediate piece 12 also serves as a cover for the mirror and its threaded holder pin 11.

The nozzle body 4 is provided with a narrow slot-like nozzle 21 (FIG. 4). The nozzle has a concave arcuate profile 22 (FIGS. 4 and 6) whose mutually opposite lips 23 and 24 extend parallel to each other. The lower surface 25 of the nozzle is inclined and flattened, and widens outwardly toward the lower lip 24 as is particularly ap parent from FIGS. 4 and '6. The top surface 26 of the nozzle merges through a convex structure 27 with the upper lip 23 of the nozzle orifice. The rounded portion 27 also widens outwardly in analogy to the lower nozzle surface 25. The lower surface 25 of the nozzle head has an opening 28 for the passage of the mirror pin 8 or 11.

Mainly by virtue of the spoon-shaped configuration of the transition from the mirror 10 or 15 to the nozzle body 4, any irritation of the area being observed is greatly reduced, such as irritation otherwise imposed on the mucous oral membrane, and injury due to use of the device is prevented.

The outwardly widening shape of the nozzle body 4 and the corresponding shape of the covering intermediate piece 9 or 12 have the effect of functioning as a brace for keeping the mouth open or widening the mouth opening angle, thus improving the viewing conditions.

The tubular handle 3 which encloses and holds the individual other components of the device, is far superior to the conventional rod-shaped handles with respect to shape and dimensions, because it facilitates gripping, holding and manipulating the speculum.

The device is preferably made of stainless metal. This, in conjunction with the readily attachable and removable coupling piece 1, facilitates reliable sterilization of the device.

It is within the scope of my invention, and will be understood by those skilled in the art upon studying this disclosure, that the speculum can be given a design other than particularly illustrated and described herein, and

may be provided with additional known auxiliaries such as light, heat and cold sources and the like which, if desired, may operate in conjunction with the supply of compressed air. Such and other modifications are available without departure from the essential features of my invention and within the scope of the claim annexed hereto.

I claim:

1. A medical speculum particularly for stomatological purposes, comprising an essentially circular mirror, a tubular elongated holder for said mirror, said holder being adapted to carry a fluid medium under pressure in a storage-like-manner, said holder having an entrance end and an exit end, a coupling nipple at said entrance end, through which said holder i connected to a fluid-mediumsource under pressure, a nozzle forming an orifice having a knife-edge shape and a concavely-arcuate-contour at said exit end, said contour extending along a circular are forming a portion of the peripheral border of said circular mirror, said nozzle having upper and lower lips extending parallel to each other, the lower surface of said nozzle being flat and inclined in respect of the axial direction of said holder and having a shape flared outwardly from said holder, the upper surface of said nozzle having a conveXly rounded shape flared outwardly from said holder, said upper nozzle surface merging with said upper lip so that said nozzle forms a volume smaller by a multiple in proportion to the volume of said holder, a

sleeve in said holder extending axially along the interior Wall of said holder, a mirror pin attached to said mirror, screwing means at a free end of said mirror pin for engagement with said sleeve, said mirror pin having an outer portion inclined with respect to its portion penetrating said sleeve through said holder so as to bear said mirror at a slight inclination with respect to the exit axis of said orifice formed by said lips.

2. A medical speculum according to claim 1, comprising further an intermediate piece between the mirror and the holder forming a cover which partially covers the rear of said mirror and which completely covers said pin, said cover forming an external boundary surface substantially smooth and without protrusions in the connection zone between said mirror and said holder.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,029,258 Beadles June 11, 1912 2,582,121 Harvey Jan. 8, 1952 2,834,109 OHara May 13, 1958 2,984,009 Codini May 16, 1961 2,984,909 Johnston May 23, 1961 3,006,073 McCarter Oct. 31, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 162,055 Sweden Feb. 4, 1958 

1. A MEDICAL SPECULUM PARTICULARLY FOR STOMATOLOGICAL PURPOSES, COMPRISING AN ESSENTIALLY CIRCULAR MIRROR, A TUBULAR ELONGATED HOLDER FOR SAID MIRROR, SAID HOLDER BEING ADAPTED TO CARRY A FLUID MEDIUM UNDER PRESSURE IN A STORAGE-LIKE-MANNER, SAID HOLDER HAVING AN ENTRANCE END AND AN EXIT END, A COUPLING NIPPLE AT SAID ENTRANCE END, THROUGH WHICH SAID HOLDER IS CONNECTED TO A FLUID-MEDIUMSOURCE UNDER PRESSURE, A NOZZLE FORMING AN ORIFICE HAVING A KNIFE-EDGE SHAPE AND A CONCAVELY-ARCUATE-CONTOUR AT SAID EXIT END, SAID CONTOUR EXTENDING ALONG A CIRCULAR ARC FORMING A PORTION OF THE PERIPHERAL BORDER OF SAID CIRCULAR MIRROR, SAID NOZZLE HAVING UPPER AND LOWER LIPS EXTENDING PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER, THE LOWER SURFACE OF SAID NOZZLE BEING FLAT AND INCLINED IN RESPECT OF THE AXIAL DIRECTION OF SAID HOLDER AND HAVING A SHAPE FLARED OUTWARDLY FROM SAID HOLDER, THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID NOZZLE HAVING A CONVEXLY ROUNDED SHAPE FLARED OUTWARDLY FROM SAID HOLDER, SAID UPPER NOZZLE SURFACE MERGING WITH SAID UPPER LIP SO THAT SAID NOZZLE FORMS A VOLUME SMALLER BY A MULTIPLE IN PROPORTION TO THE VOLUME OF SAID HOLDER, A SLEEVE IN SAID HOLDER EXTENDING AXIALLY ALONG THE INTERIOR WALL OF SAID HOLDER, A MIRROR PIN ATTACHED TO SAID MIRROR, SCREWING MEANS AT A FREE END OF SAID MIRROR PIN FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SLEEVE, SAID MIRROR PIN HAVING AN OUTER PORTION INCLINED WITH RESPECT TO ITS PORTION PENETRATING SAID SLEEVE THROUGH SAID HOLDER SO AS TO BEAR SAID MIRROR AT A SLIGHT INCLINATION WITH RESPECT TO THE EXIT AXIS OF SAID ORIFICE FORMED BY SAID LIPS. 